A key to understanding the Gospel of Mark is that in this Gospel we see much more of the Lord’s acts than of His words. Mark does not record very much of the Lord’s teaching. For example, he does not include the message the Lord gave on the mountain (Matt. 5—7). Neither does Mark include the lengthy prophecies and many of the parables found in Matthew and Luke. For the most part, Mark gives us a detailed record of the Lord’s acts. He includes many small points in order to present a portrait of the beauty and excellence of the humanity of Christ as the Slave-Savior. If we see this, we shall love the Gospel of Mark.
The secret to understanding the Gospel of Mark is to see that this book describes in a vivid, detailed way the excellent and marvelous human virtues of the Lord Jesus. Actually, it is quite difficult to speak on this Gospel. More than twenty messages would be needed to cover what is revealed only in the first three chapters, because the record of the Lord’s humanity in this Gospel is so vivid and detailed. How marvelous is the picture of the virtues of the Lord’s humanity in the Gospel of Mark! We need a particular kind of utterance from the Lord to speak of these matters. Throughout the years I have become accustomed to speaking on the all-inclusive Christ, the church, and the compound, processed, indwelling Spirit. But when we come to the Gospel of Mark, I sense the need for a different kind of utterance, and I look to the Lord for it.
The writer of this Gospel was Mark, who was also called John (Acts 12:25), the son of one of the Marys (who was close to the Apostle Peter in the church at Jerusalem, Acts 12:12). He was also the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10). He accompanied Barnabas and Saul in their ministry (Acts 12:25), and joined Paul in the first journey of his ministry to the Gentiles (Acts 13:5). However, Mark left Paul and turned back at Perga (Acts 13:13). Due to the fact that he had turned back, he was rejected by Paul in his second journey. Mark then joined Barnabas in his work, at which time Barnabas separated himself from Paul (Acts 15:36-40). However, Mark was close to Paul in his later years (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24) and useful to him for his ministry until Paul’s martyrdom (2 Tim. 4:11). He was close to Peter, probably continually, since Peter considered him his son (1 Pet. 5:13).
From the early days of the church Mark’s Gospel has been considered a written account of the oral presentation of Peter, who accompanied the Savior in His gospel service from its beginning (Mark 1:16-18) to its end (14:54, 66-72). The record is according to historical sequence and gives more details of historical facts than the other Gospels do. The entire Gospel is summarized in Peter’s word in Acts 10:36-42.
Concerning the Gospel of Mark we need to keep three matters in mind: first, that this Gospel is a written account of Peter’s presentation of the history of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; second, that this Gospel was written according to historical sequence; and third, that this Gospel gives more details of historical facts than the other Gospels do. The Gospel of Mark may actually be regarded as the Gospel of Peter. Peter presented the story of the Lord Jesus orally to Mark, and Mark put this story into writing. This Gospel also gives us a biography of the Lord according to historical sequence. The record in Matthew, on the contrary, gives us a record according to doctrine. If we would know the actual incidents of the Lord’s life according to historical sequence, we need the Gospel of Mark. Furthermore, Mark gives more details of historical facts than the other Gospels do. As we have already pointed out, Mark pays much more attention to the Lord’s action than to His speaking. This fits Mark’s purpose in portraying the Lord as a Slave. A slave is one who works, not one who talks a great deal. Therefore, Mark presents the details of the Lord’s actions.
John presents the God-Savior, emphasizing the Savior’s deity in His humanity. Matthew presents the King-Savior; Mark, the Slave-Savior; and Luke, the Man-Savior. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are synoptic concerning the Savior’s humanity in different aspects, with His deity. Since Mark presents the Savior as a Slave, he does not tell His genealogy and status, as the ancestry of a slave is not worthy of note. Mark also does not intend to impress us with the Slave’s wonderful words (as Matthew does with His marvelous teachings and parables concerning the heavenly kingdom, and John with His profound revelations of divine truths), but he impresses us with His excellent deeds in His gospel service, providing more detail than the other Gospels, in order to portray the Slave-Savior’s diligence, faithfulness, and other virtues in the saving service He rendered to sinners for God. In Mark’s Gospel is the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning Christ as the Slave of Jehovah in Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; 49:5-7; 50:4-7; 52:13—53:12, and the details of the teaching regarding Christ as the Slave of God in Philippians 2:5-11. His diligence in labor, His need of food and rest (Mark 3:20-21; 6:31), His anger (3:5), His groaning (7:34), and His affection (10:21) display beautifully His humanity in its virtue and perfection. His lordship (2:28), His omniscience (2:8), His miraculous power, and His authority to cast out demons (1:27; 3:15), to forgive sins (2:7, 10), and to silence the wind and the sea (4:39) manifest in full His deity in its glory and honor. What a Slave of God! How lovely and admirable! Such a Slave served sinners as their Slave-Savior, with His life as their ransom (10:45), for the fulfillment of the eternal purpose of God, whose Slave He was.
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